
Tennis star Novak Djokovic threatened boycott, prompting broadcaster Tony Jones to apologize after mocking the athlete as 'has-been' and 'overrated' at the Australian Open.
- Jan 21, 2025
AceShowbiz - Veteran sports reporter Tony Jones is apologetic to Novak Djokovic and his fans after comments made during a live broadcast at the Australian Open caused the tennis champion to boycott Channel 9's coverage. Jones, known for his witty banter, found himself in hot water after mocking Serbian fans chanting for Djokovic.
During a live segment, Jones mimicked the fans, chanting, "Novak, he's overrated. Novak's a has-been. Novak, kick him out," in reference to Djokovic's expulsion from Australia in 2022 over his vaccine status.
The comments outraged many, prompting Djokovic to skip the customary on-court interview following his victory against Jiří Lehečka. In a video posted on social media, Djokovic explained, "He made insulting and offensive comments towards me."
Backlash against Jones and his remarks was swift and widespread. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in, urging for more respect and kindness in sports. Speaking to ABC radio, the Prime Minister expressed, "There is a place for more respect… more kindness and generosity and respect, just across the board."
Public figures like tennis great Boris Becker and two-time Australian Open champion Viktoria Azarenka also condemned Jones' behavior.
Jones, realizing the gravity of his comments, quickly reached out to Djokovic's camp with an apology on Saturday morning, acknowledging his error. "I considered it to be humor, which is consistent with most things I do," Jones said.
"Having said that, I was made aware on Saturday morning from Tennis Australia via the Djokovic camp that the Djokovic camp was not happy at all with those comments. As such, I immediately contacted the Djokovic camp and issued an apology to them - for any disrespect which Novak felt I had caused."
Taking to Channel 9's "Today" morning show on Monday, January 20, Jones reiterated his apology, admitting he had "overstepped the mark." He said, "I genuinely feel for those fans. There is banter, and I thought what I was doing was an extension of that banter. Quite clearly that hasn't been interpreted that way. I feel as though I've let down the Serbian fans."
Tennis Australia confirmed that Djokovic acknowledged the apology and is now focusing on his next match.